


Sometimes The Dark Can Show You What The Light Can't

by SerialCereal



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Kageyama Tobio, Dont worry though hes a nice siren raised by mermaids, M/M, Mermaid/siren AU, Original Mermaid/Siren Lore, Siren! Hinata, fluff-ish, they start out as kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 03:31:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4247694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerialCereal/pseuds/SerialCereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Are you scared of the dark, Kageyama?" The boy asked innocently, smiling softly. </p><p>(Or in which hinata is a lil' siren and kageyama is a scared crying child in tears and hinata shows him the stars.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sky has Sprinkles at Night

The cold crisp air nipped at the tips of Tobios ears, his nose, and even his bare fingers, turning them all red. He was sitting at the edge of the dock, tears flowing from his eyes and snot from his nose as he shivered. The sun had set long ago, and Tobio should have returned home a long time ago. But he was lost, being new to the area. He had just moved to this new town, beside one of its lesser-known lakes. Most of the residents preferred going to the beach, it was actually connected to the lake by a river but was still quite far. Far enough, at least. Well, that is what Tobios mother had told him before he was kicked out of the house to explore a bit. He was 9, after all, so it was fine as long as he didn't stray too far.  
He had left at around 6:00 pm, so he could only assume it was at least 8:00 or 9:00. After being out by the lake for roughly 3 hours, having absolutely no idea where he was or how to get back home, he finally settled down on the small dock and burst into tears. He just wanted to go home. Back where it was warm and felt safe. He was scared out here, and it was dark. Tobio was scared of the dark.  
Gripping his knees tightly to his chest, he viciously wiped at his eyes in a pitiful attempt to dry them, sniffling as silently as he could. He buried his face in his knees, but it wasn't as if he could hide from the dark. But at least by doing this, he couldn't see the outlines of the trees and branches which seemed to loom over him and taunt him each time they swayed in the wind. He couldn't see the dark, rippling, water that laughed bitterly at his face each time it washed against the shore.  
He looked up suddenly out of instinct when he heard a splash. It wasn't necessarily loud, but it had broken the usual pattern of the waves sloshing against the shore which caused Tobio to whip his head up in fear. He looked along the dark water, but saw nothing. He widened his eyes, scanning over it as he slowly adjusted himself to get a better look. He gripped onto the edge of the dock tightly, his knuckles going white, and peered over cautiously, no longer paying any mind as the tears slowly but steadily dripped down his face and landed into the water under him, a soft ripple with each drip.  
Tobio widened his eyes in fear, falling backwards onto the dock, when a face emerged form the water. A human face. Tobio let out a light squeak of fear, scrambling backwards as pale hands gripped onto the edge of the dock.

"Ah! Don't go! I didn't mean to scare you!" A voice called, it was high pitched yet unsteady and almost sounded like it hadn't been used in a long time- having a bit of a rasp to it. Tobio just stared in silence, waiting for whoever it was to hoist themselves onto the dock so they could kidnap him and run away. Or maybe it was a monster, ready to grab him and pull him down into the water to drown, or eat, him. But that didn't happen, instead the hands which gripped the dock tightly let go and slid back into the water with a slight splash. Whatever it was, cleared its throat. "Come to the edge of the dock! It's okay, I won't hurt you!"  
For some reason, Tobio relaxed, shuffling his way to the edge of the dock. Before he even realized it, he was leaning over the dock slightly, still cautious. It was a boy, messy bright orange hair that looked pretty dry, surprisingly since he was in water, and bright, large, brown eyes. Once he saw Tobio, he broke into a grin but didn't move. "Hello!" He greeted. Tobio was silent, just gazing at the boy.  
The boy swam back a little, as if getting a better look at Tobio. Thats when Tobio realized he seemed to be missing his lower half. Or, no, he wasn't missing it. It was a tail. A fish tail, to be precise. Its scales glittered under the water, and Tobio couldn't help but stare.

"What are you?" Tobio hadn't even realized the words came out of his mouth. He blinked, looking away and back at the boy in hopes he didn't offend him.

"I dunno." The boy said, sticking his tongue out and looking at his tail, looking deep in thought. But he probably wasn't, Tobio didn't get the impression this guy had deep thoughts. "I'm normal, I wanted to ask you that." The boy said, pointing to Tobio. Tobio looked behind him, wiggling his toes. He had worn flip-flops, so they were in full view.

"No, I'm normal." He looked back at the boy. "You aren't." He said. The boy paused, stretching out his tail, under the dock and out of Tobios view. The splash Tobio heard, made him assume the boy had flicked it.

"Oh." Was the boys simple response, before he looked back up at Tobio. "What are you?" He asked.

"Human."

"Can I be human too?"

"I don't think so?" The boy pouted, sinking into the water so he was in up to his nose. He expected the boy to respond, which he did. Tobio thinks? His response with a click or squeak or something, the type of noise that reminded Tobio of a dolphin. He raised an eyebrow in response, and the boy lifted his head above the water.

"I want to be human too!" The boy got a bit louder, which startled Tobio. Tobio frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I want to make water." Tobio raised an eyebrow, expressing his confusion. "You were making water from your eyes. I can't do that, I don't think. But imagine being able to make water wherever you go!" The boy grinned widely, toothily. Tobio felt an uneasy shiver when he noticed how sharp and pointy those teeth were. Tobio shook it off. Was he talking about crying? Tobio quickly wiped his eyes.

"Who are you?" He grumbled, avoiding the topic. The boy paused, thinking, before he shrugged.

"I don't know that either." He said, sinking back into the water, this time only to his chin. "Do you?"

"Know who you are?"

"No, who you are."

"Oh. I'm Kageyama Tobio." Tobio pointed at himself.

"Hello, Kageyama." The boy said, smiling once again. "Can I have a name like that? How did you get it?"

"My mom gave it to me." The boy blinked widely.

"Mom? I have a mom. She didn't give me a name, though. She does call me-" he let out another one of those dolphin-like clicks. "-though." Tobio blinked, trying to click is tongue. "No." He did it again, Tobio frowned. He tried once again, failing. "Nooooo!" Again. Tobio sighed. "Do it from your throat." He opened his jaws wide, and Tobios eyes widened. His mouth was larger than normal, the sharp white teeth poking out of his gums threateningly. It sent another shiver of fear down his spine.

"I can't. I'm not what you are." Tobio said, blinking slowly and scowling a bit. The boy shrugged.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, and Tobio frowned, adverting his eyes. He instantly regretted it as he felt a wave of fear when he remembered that it was dark, cold, and terrifying. He looked back to the bright boy in the water. Tobio was just noticing that his eyes seemed to be glowing, faintly.

"I... I got lost. I couldn't find my way home." The boy blinked, grabbing onto the edge of the dock and lifting himself a bit closer.

"Was that why you were scared?" 

"I wasn't..." Tobio scowled at the boy, but he couldn't even bring himself to finish his sentence before he felt a few more tears drip down his face. He sniffled.

"Ah! Your making water again!" The boy gasped, one of the tears landing on his face. When he looked up, he must have saw the expression on Tobios face, as he blinked slowly. "Don't worry. I'll stay here until your mom finds you." The boy said, lowering himself back into the water to his shoulders, slowly. Tobio wiped his eyes, not bothering to protest. They were both silent, and Tobio hated it. He wished this weird fish-boy would just talk. He didn't care about what. Tobios eyes never left the boy, who was far more interested in staring at the tip of his tail flicking and swishing the water around.  
He finally noticed Tobios death stare, and looked up. They both looked at eachother for a moment.

"Are you scared of the dark, Tobio?" The boy asked innocently, smiling softly. Tobio frowned, but didn't deny it. "I personally like the dark. My mom allows me to come to the surface because no one is here. Usually." He muttered the last bit, but Tobio heard it anyway. "Well, I don't like the dark, I suppose. I like that I can come to the surface and see the stars." The boys gaze shifted past Tobio, right at the stars. Tobio slowly looked up, blinking. He hadn't noticed the stars, he had been too scared to look at them. Plus, its not like there were any stars back at Tobios old town, the street lights had always prevented them from shining. But here, there were plenty of them. He stared at them, the moon shone as well, bright and full. It was actually very pretty, Tobio thought.

"Oh..." Was all he said, lowering his face back to the boy who just smiled.

"When I feel scared, I like to look at them." The boy gripped the dock again, but didn't pull himself up at all. "It's okay, Kageyama. You don't have to be scared." The boy broke into a wide grin, but his words comforted Tobio far more than they should have. Tobio flopped onto his back, letting the top of his head barely peek out from the dock to let the fish boy known he was still there. Staring downward had gotten tiring for his neck.

Tobio simply stared at the stars, and before he knew it he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

 

"TOBIO!" A shout woke Tobio up, and he groggily opened his eyes. He blinked slowly, lifting his head. He was met with a bright light shining in his face, and covered his eyes. "Oh thank god!" The person ran up, setting the flashlight down to hug him. Tobio recognized this person as his mother. "You're shivering! We have to get you home!" She lifted him up, grabbing the flashlight on the way, and hugging him over her shoulder. Tobio blinked at the dark lake, having a clear look at it over her shoulder when she turned. He spotted two glowing dots in the middle of the lake. Had it not been for the fact they disappeared, a large fish tail flicking up and splashing water into the air, for the boy to dive back into the water, Tobio would have mistaken them for fireflies. Tobio watched as the water calmed, and as he was taken back home.

He guessed that maybe, just maybe, the dark wasn't as bad as he had originally thought. After all, it did allow him to see some beautiful things.


	2. Rain Ruins Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess ill continue it a bit  
> oh and this isnt beta-read btw

Tobio returned to the lake the next day, the sun was in complete contrast to the other next. It was hidden behind some clouds, but it was still extremely bright. This time he had brought his volleyball, hugging it tightly to his chest as he walked to the edge of the dock. The sunlight shone onto the water, making the bright blue waves sparkle with each ripple. Tobio stared out, blinking slowly.

"Fish boy!" He called out, but there was no response. Tobio let out a sigh, sitting down and letting his balls it by his side. He kept a hand on it and just hung his feet over the edge of the dock, his toes barely touching the water. He hadn't worn shoes today, as the path to the lake was pretty bare. About halfway down the trail he did regret it, though. He brushed the bottom of his feet with each foot, letting the rocks and sand which had gotten stuck in his skin fall to the water. The lake looked very pleasant, now that it wasn't night. Tobio loved how the light shone on the grass and trees, giving the green plants a slightly more yellow-ish tint. It made them feel warm.  
The way some rocks, especially the wet ones, reflected the light, throwing the light right back at the sun. A few dandelions were sprouting from the cracks between the small pebbles littered around the shore, after all it was mostly pebbles and dirt rather than sand like at the beach. Tobio hadn't noticed the flower-like weeds before, but they were definitely there. And definitely a bright yellow. Tobio looked away, hearing a voice. At first he though it had come from the lake, and was eagerly scanning around. But no, instead it was a group of slightly intoxicated high school students. Tobio couldn't help the frown that was cast upon his face as he scrambled to his feet and hurried off in the opposite direction they had come. A few of them were talking loudly, and one even waved a goodbye to Tobio, but he didn't respond. He would come back tomorrow, when there wouldn't be any, slightly scary, drunken high schoolers.

The next day was the same, but it was a bit cloudier than usual. Tobio didn't expect to see anyone at the lake, but lo-and-behold there were a few college-looking girls and boys, one of them even had a dog who was messily splashing around in the lake while the owner, a boy, tried and failed to call him over. Tobio sighed, spinning the volleyball in his hands and turning to head back home. It would be raining tomorrow, so he couldn't come to the lake. It just wouldn't be nice enough out.  
Then Tobio remembered something. Fish Boy had said he was not allowed to the surface during the day, because there was people at the lake. He would return tonight and see if Fish boy was there.

He was.

When Tobio left later that night, at around 7:00 pm which was just after dinner, it was already raining a bit. Tobio had to wear his raincoat and take an umbrella, but he still took his volleyball. He kept it safely tucked under his arm, holding the umbrella at his side. It wasn't raining hard enough to use it, well Tobio didn't think. He had simply pulled his hood over his head.  
When he arrived at the lake he walked straight over to the dock, dumping his umbrella and volleyball beside him as he sat down and called out.

"Fish boy!" Tobio hadn't even properly looked out at the lake, but when he did he noticed glowing eyes staring at him from the middle of the lake. He couldn't see very well, due to the mist that the rain created, but he knew they were the familiar honey-colored orbs that had greeted him the first day he came to the lake. The eyes dipped below the water, a large fish-like fin splashed water upward. It was almost a wave, so Tobio waved.  
Tobio watched as the orange mop of hair darted through the water, closer, then popped up right in front of the dock.

"Hello, Kageyama!" The fish-boy greeted, smiling. Tobio didn't return the smile, but he was happy nonetheless.

"So you can only come out when no one is here?" The boy nodded.

"I heard you calling, but I am not allowed to the surface until the sun sets." The boy sunk in the water a bit. 

"I see, then I'll come at this time." The orange fish-boy grinned.

"I'm glad! It gets pretty lonely here." The boy sighed, swimming past the dock to get closer to the shore. He got close enough to it that his tail was still covered in water, but he could sit on the ground under the water. Tobio stared at the tail, getting a better look at it. He slowly scooted over to the side of the dock, leaning in closer.  
The tail was longer than his upper body, almost as long as Tobio from head-to-toe. It was a deep reddish-orange, becoming a brighter yellow at the end. There were a few yellow scales scattered in the base of the tail, but not so many that you'd notice right away. It gave the darker parts of his tail a sparkle. Scales aside, he had a large fin on both sides of his tail that were both long and wide, it reminded Tobio of wings. Fish-fin wings, of course. But they were tucked close to his tail, otherwise they would be brushing against the dock and grass. Tobio also noticed a smaller set below the first. The end of his tail split into two, and Tobio took note how the yellow got paler and whiter, instead of the bright and gold-like scales before it.  
It was quite beautiful, Tobio admitted.  
"Wanna touch it?" The tail was lifted up closer, and Tobio slightly moved his head upward to avoid it when he caught smell of it. It smelled like fish, obviously. Which was to say, it smelled pretty bad. Salty, mostly. Tobio would have declined right away, but apart of him really did want to touch it. 

"Can I?" He asked cautiously. The boy waved his tail in Tobios face in response.

"Sure, as long as I can touch your tails!" The boy grinned widely, showing off those teeth. No matter how often Tobio saw it, something about them made him shiver.

"I don't have tails." Tobio frowned. "Do you mean my legs?" Tobio slowly reached out, rubbing his hand over the scaley tail. It felt pretty cool, he had to admit. Like a giant fish. Probably. Tobio hadn't really been running around touching fish. He gawked at it, rubbing his hand over the grain of the slimy scales.

"Yes, your legs." The boy confirmed. Tobio finally pulled his hand away, and the tail was lowered. "My turn!" The boy shuffled over the the dock, but he couldn't reach it all that easily, being unable to stand. Tobio stood up, he pulled up his pants- folding them to his knees- before he walked off the dock and toward the water. He tried his best not to splash water, getting in to just before his knees. The fish boy scooted a bit closer, reaching out his hand and rubbing Tobio's legs. "Cool!" Fish boy grinned as he continued to rub them. There was a moment of silence, Tobio stared at the boy as he noticed that his eyes seemed to be glowing a bit brighter.

"My legs aren't that cool." Finally the boy pulled his hand away, staring up at Tobio. His eyes were a bit different, the normal brown orbs seemed to be glowing a bit more yellow and his pupil had stretched to remind Tobio of a lizard. It was a bit unsettling and Tobio shuffled backwards. Totally not out of a panicked instinct.  
He widened his eyes when he felt his heel hit a sharp rock, and let out a yelp of pain. In his attempt to shift his weight off the foot, he slipped on the wet rocks. He let out a shout as he fell backwards in a huge splash.  
Tobio blinked slowly, eyes squinted as water dripped down from his hair. He was completely soaked. He noticed Fish boy had slunk back into the water, covering his mouth which was twisted into a huge grin- but his eyes were back to normal. Tobio glared at him as he started laughing. He looked up, sighing in annoyance, and noticed how heavy the raindrops had actually gotten. The wind was beginning to pick up too. Tobio stood up, walking back to the rocky shore, and shivered, shaking wildly. It was getting colder, and the rain and wind only getting harder. Fish boy didn't seem to notice, as he swam back to the front of the dock, looking at Tobios volleyball and umbrella. He placed his hand on the edge of the dock and lifted himself high enough so he could get a better look.  
"I forgot. I was up all day translating my 'name' after you left." he said, shifting his gaze to Tobio, who had walked back to the dock. "Its Shouyou." He stuck out his tongue and sunk back into the water. "Hinata Shouyou, I guess." He said with a smile. Tobio nodded, grabbed the umbrella and opening it. It was pretty pointless since he was always drenched, but oh well. After setting it up so it covered most of him from the rain, he took off his jacket, then shirt. He attempted to wring out his shirt, right over Hinata's face.

"Hinata, huh." Tobio muttered as Hinata scrunched his nose and swam off a bit to get out of Tobio's wringing-range. He was honestly surprised when Hinata responded.

"Yup!" Hinata swam around a bit, farther from the dock than usual. To be honest, since Hinata and possibly his parents lived in this lake, Tobio wondered just how deep it actually was. He frowned, placing his shirt on the edge of the dock and shivering as he pulled his jacket over his shoulders.

"How are you not cold?" Tobio didn't bother to speak up, as Hinata proved he had exceptional hearing.

"I dunno." Hinata admitted, swimming closer once again. "I'm just not. Why are you cold?"

"Because humans need heat, I think." Tobio muttered the last part. Hinata pursed his lips, blinking. Tobio stared at his face, now that it wasn't dark and night, he could notice that Hinata had a few golden scales on his cheek bones and nose, almost resembling freckles. Very large and golden freckles that complimented his eyes. Tobio would never say it aloud, but Hinata was very pretty. Each of the scales on his face seem to have their own faint glow. There seemed to be a pattern, with the scales being clustered at his joints then spreading out and scattering wildly- all that same bright gold that had their own faint glow. Tobio blinked, bringing his knees to his chest in an attempt to warm himself up.  
Hinata looked up at the sky, unfazed by the rain which got harder and harder. The wind, which had also picked up intensely, began to make the waves ripples turn into larger waves. Hinata was being pushed and dipped, and he had to grip onto the wooden support beam, even if it wasn't the greatest of grips due to the algae.

"You should probably go home." Hinata said a little louder than usual. "It'll only get worse, by the looks." Tobio widened his eyes.

"Will you be okay?" He asked, peering over the edge of the dock to look at Hinata.

"Probably. I'll just go down in my cave until it calms down. I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose." Tobio nodded, standing up and gathering his things. Hinatas eyes stared at the ball, and Tobio blinked at him but said nothing, turning around to head home. "Bye, Kageyama!" Hinata waved his tail in the air, flicking water upward. Tobio slightly looked over his shoulder, just in time to see the splash and flick of Hinata's tail as he dove back into the water. Tobio slowly lifted his hand a waved slightly, before turning back around and heading back towards the trail.

By the time he had gotten home, the rain was reduced to a slight drizzle, Tobio sighed heavily at this. Honestly, Tobio had never really hated storms, but for some reason he think he did now. Oh well, he'd just go back tomorrow.


	3. I really should get better at titles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mostly dialogue here but i am gonna try to make them longer next chapter onward  
> also once again its not beta-read, and the chapters from here on out wont be either do to my beta reader just not wanting to which is fine i suppose
> 
> however, i probably should get another one but i dont know who
> 
> edit// fixed up some very faint things

When Tobio returned to the lake the next day, it was damp, cold, and damp. Yes, damp x2. But he also realized that day, that he hadn't realized anything about Hinata. Like that his freckle-like scales were also on his spine, and scattered out all over his back. Or that between his fingers was pale orange webbing. But he also realized.

"You're a mermaid." Tobio said as soon as he came to the dock, plopping down. He had left his volleyball today.

"A what?"

When Tobio had returned yesterday, he had told his mother about the fish-boy in the lake having a name. Hinata Shouyou.

"Hinata Shouyou? Is that so?" Tobios mother laughed slightly, rubbing the towel on her sons black hair.

"Do you know what he is?"

"Hm, by you description... He sounds like a mermaid." She pulled the towel off his head, fluffing his hair a bit, and leaned over his shoulder to look at his face. He turned to her.

"A mermaid?"

"Well, merman in this case. But yes, they are beautiful half-fish people that help sailors when they are ship wrecked. I don't know much about them, but I've heard they can't speak any human language." She was clearly just playing along with her sons fantasies, letting that child-like imagination soar. But Tobio was unaware, as most kids were. He just had this feeling she didn't believe him.

"But he can speak Japanese."

"I bet. I could be wrong." Tobios mother stood up. "Now come along, dinner should be ready."

That was the end of the conversation with her. Something seemed fishy about Hinata being a merman, it just didn't fit for some odd reason.

"A mermaid. Well, my mom said you're a merman." Tobio said, letting his toes create ripples in the lake. It was surprising how fast this lake could turn scary in the dark, or rain. But right now, though a bit cloudy, it wasn't scary. It was nothing beautiful like it had been a few days ago, and Tobio slightly wished he had captured a picture of it, but he hadn't so it was only a matter of time before it became a faint and distant memory. "Its a beautiful half-fish person who helps sailors when they wreck their ship." He paused. "Have you helped any sailors?"

"I've never left this lake. My mom doesn't allow it, she says I'll be tainted." Hinata twirled his fingers in the water, sitting about mid-torso in the clear-blue water.

"Why did you come talk to me?" Tobio asked.

"I dunno. When I saw you I just felt attracted to you." Hinata grinned widely, eyes slightly glowing. "Maybe I'm envious of your so-called 'legs'. It'd be neat to swim on the land like you do."

"I guess, but I find swimming better. Walking just got boring fast, I suppose." Tobio said, gripping the dock in his hands, between his legs, as he kicked the water a bit.

"You can also swim, though. I can't walk." Hinata frowned. "I'd kill to walk." Hinata's eyes darted to Tobio's legs, and Tobio couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine. That spiked another question, why did Tobio keep coming back to the lake. Hinata was a bit scary, with those teeth. He looked like he could eat flesh.

"I can't swim." He found himself saying. It was a bit of a lie, he could float, sure. But full-on swimming, well he sucked at that. He was good enough to get back to shore if needed, and didn't need a life jacket. But he wouldn't be wining any swimming-races anytime soon. "Not well, anyway." He clarified, looking away from Hinata.

"I can teach you!" Hinata grinned. "I'm one of the best swimmers I know." Tobio raised an eyebrow, staring out at the lake. Thinking about it, he had never really seen Hinata swim. But he was sure that it was probably beautiful. "I can also fly!" At this, Tobio whipped his head to the golden boy, blinking in confusion. "Not literally, I mean..." He moved his hand into a motion, pulling it out of the water and diving it back in. Oh, he mean't he can jump. Like a dolphin.

"Show me." Tobio said, and Hinata nodded.

"You haven't seen me swim!" He realized, pushing himself into the deeper water. "Watch closely, Kageyama!" He was clearly proud of his jumps. Tobio watched as the gold boy darted under the water, catching glimpses of those shining scales on his back and tail that reflected what little of sun there was. It make him look like he was sparkling. The fish-boy was soon out of view, diving under the water deeper and going farther toward the middle of the lake. Tobio lifted his knees to his face, resting on them. His stormy-blue eyes focused on where the honey-colored fish-boy leaped into the air suddenly. Tobio wasn't sure why, but his heart swelled uncomfortably large as he stared. The way the light reflected on Hinata, making all his scales brighten and shine. The way his side tail-fins spread out as wide as they could, and the way he was grinning widely. Happily. It was truly beautiful. Tobio was tricked for a brief moment that Hinata really was flying, that is until he came down with a large splash and dove back into the water.

"Woah," Tobio clapped a bit, still a bit too surprised to react properly. He didn't wait for Hinata to return, as he was fully aware of Hinata's insane senses. Including hearing. Tobio knew he was a fish, but he never expected him to jump that high. He expected him to flop up in the air, landing half-assedly landing on his side. Like a whale. Or maybe even doing a half-jump like a dolphin. "That was actually really cool." Tobio said, just as Hinata popped his head out from the water.

"Thanks! I've been doing it... well, for as long as I can remember. Its the only thing to do, well was. Now I can talk to you!" Hinata swam closer, looking up at Tobio. He had a grin on his face that was just brimming with happiness, and Tobio had to bury his face in his knees to prevent himself from smiling too. "Do you want to learn how to swim, now?!" Hinata asked, grabbing the dock and pulling himself up a tad. But he could never get on fully.

"I don't know, I don't really like swimming."

"What do you like?" Hinata asked, flopping back into the water messily with a bit of a splash.

"Volleyball is pretty fun, I guess. I've only been playing for a little bit though." Speaking of his interests, this reminded Tobio that neither of them, despite spending three days together now, knew nothing about eachother.

"Whats that?"

"I brought the ball yesterday." He said, positioning himself as if he was tossing, sitting down of course. "Basically you try to get that ball to hit the floor of the other side of the court. In simple terms." He clarified. "You can only touch the ball once, but I haven't got a team yet. I've mainly just been throwing the ball in the air. Sometimes my Dad will spike it or toss it between us." He lowered his hands, looking at Hinata with a blank expression. "But he's been too busy recently."

"I could play that!" Hinata pointed at himself. "You just need someone to hit it back and forth, right?" Tobio shrugged.

"It might be a bit awkward, but I can see you doing it. It'd have to be a beach volleyball though..." Then silence fell between them, Hinata lowering himself into the water to his chin.

"Tomorrow we can play it, and teach you how to swim, too!" He smiled. Tobio nodded with a slight frown as silence fell between them again. But it didn't last long. Like always.

"You said your mom doesnt let you leave the lake, because you'll be tainted." Tobio looked down at Hinata. "What did she mean?"

"She never goes into too much detail about it, but I could ask." Hinata said, leaning back. Tobio shrugged, he was curious. His mother always said that, though he was quite quiet, he was very curious about things. "Is there anything else you want to know about?"

What you are, where you came from, why you can't leave. "Not really." He looked up, it was probably dinner time. "I have to go, My mom doesn't want me out too late anymore." He said, standing up. "I'll see you later, Hinata." Hinata smiled, nodded, and pushed himself into the deeper water.

"Bye, bye, Kageyama!" He said, diving under the water and flicking his tail upward- splashing water. That was apparently his 'wave', he noted. Tobio stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed home.

 

Tobio opened his mouth, pointing at his teeth. "Do mermaids have pointy teeth?" He asked his mother, who raised an eyebrow as she looked down at him. She paused washing the dishes, thinking.

"Not in most of what I've heard. Sometimes? But mainly, they don't really need super pointy teeth. Fish is pretty easy to bite, I'd imagine."

"Wouldn't that be cannibalism?" Tobio asked, looking back up at his mother with large stormy eyes.

"Haha, I suppose. Half-cannibalism. Oh, but Sirens have pointy teeth?" She was more-or-less thinking outloud when she said that.

"Sirens?"

"Yes, they look similar to mermaids but are lesser known. Aside from looks, they share no similarities. Sirens usually cause shipwrecks. They also sing to lure sailors to jumping off board so they can eat them. Yes, Tobio, that is half-cannibalism too. I guess. But mermaids are mythical creatures, and sirens mythical monsters." Tobio couldn't open his mouth before his mother answered. He nodded wildly, eager for more information. "But I don't think your little fish-friend is a siren, they live far off in the deepest parts of the sea, only coming out to cause trouble and eat humans. I can't imagine one being in a lake." She said absentmindedly, humming a bit as she went back to washing dishes. "Mermaids aren't exactly close either, they live out in the middle of the sea too, though." She shrugged.

"I see."

Tobio has always been curious, quiet too. He has many questions brewing, and though he doesn't tend to ask them when he does they lead to more and more questions. Its never-ending. For the most part, Tobio didn't care if his questions weren't answered. His mother had always said that sometimes somethings don't have answers. But recently, Tobio found himself wanting answers, and not getting any was a bit frustrating.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have absolutely no excuse to why this was so late.  
> It was already written just needed to be uploaded.  
> I just  
> didnt????
> 
> Anyway not a very good chapter but it does dwell into hinatas past a bit???  
> shrug

The darkness stretched out far beyond the womans vision, like an abyss ready to engulf her. But she skillfully swam, not deterred by the black waters, flicking her sky-colored fish tail. Beside her was a man, with a darker tail than her own but still on the blue spectrum. He was a bit behind her, looking around as if looking for something. The womans soft light-brown hair swirled around her as she halted, spotting the slight shimmer of a gold color. She frowned, continuing on her path toward the gold with a slightly faster pace.  
She heard the water swish as her partner attempted to keep up with her. As she neared the golden shimmer, she noticed it was a small boy. His tail a golden worthy of the sun, slowly drifting deeper into the water-like abyss. She reached out her hands, and with one final wave of her tail to propel herself forward, she caught the small fish-boy. She looked down, noticing the deluded brown-like color of a once beautifully golden tail.

"Sirens." She breathed, her voice sounding like the click of a dolphin. Hugging the boy to her chest as she watched the lifeless body of its, presumably, mother sank deeper: leaving a faint trail of red. She frowned at the poor, orphaned, boy and didn't look up as she sensed her beloved swim next to her to look. "What are we going to do? We can't leave him." She said sadly, placing her hand on the young sirens bright orange hair.

"We can't keep him, it's only a matter of time before the sea-water rots his mind. He'll turn into one of those mindless, blood thirsty, monsters." The man beside her growled, frowning at the thought of the one they raised turning on them. Even if it wasn't their child, it still sent shivers down his spine at the thought of being betrayed so harshly. The woman whipped around to face him, glaring dangerously, and lashing her tail which caused pockets of air to begin to float toward the faraway surface.

"You expect me to just leave him to die!?" She demanded.

"You know that won't happen." The man remain calm, crossing his arms. "He will find a way to live, they don't need parents to survive. You know this."

"Not at this age! He clearly isn't able to survive on his own! He's can't even swim!"

"It's not our fault he's a runt, he will probably always been handicapped anyway."

"We are not leaving him!" She persisted. "That is even more of a reason to keep him!"

"He's a siren, in case you forgot. How do you expect to keep his mind from rotting away?"

"I..." She bit her lip, hugging the small golden boy tightly to herself, searching for an answer. "A lake! I'll just keep him in fresh water!"

"Where do you expect to find a lake, let alone get to one?" This stumped the woman once again, causing her to look down at the small boy in her arms. His eyes were gently closed, rather long eyelashes brushing against his cheeks, and his mouth open agape.

"I'll find one." She firmly looked at him, a determined gleam in her hazel eyes. "I'll keep him there and it will all be fine..." It sounded as if she was attempting to convince herself, rather than the man before you. He shot her a look before sighing and closing his green eyes. When he opened them, he just stared.

"Fine, we can keep him. If-" He spoke before she could get too hopeful, the gleam in her eyes turning to happiness already. "-If you manage to somehow find a lake that is easily accessible and would be a fine habitat for him." She grinned a toothy smile, swimming closer and gently hugging him, keeping the boy in her arms safe from being squished.

"Thank you!" He pat her back in response, before she pulled away.

"But if you don't find a place for him before his colors begin to dull, we have to get rid of him." She pursed her lips, shaking the goosebumps off her skin.

"Of course." She nodded. "Thank you." She repeated, and he nodded in response. She looked down at the child in her arms as she started swimming again, being led by her husband. Had she been able to have children of her own, she probably would not have jumped so eagerly on keeping a random child they found in the sea. A siren no less. But the fact she couldn't, it seemed like fate that she found this orphaned boy. Like it was her one chance to have the child she's always wanted, and she could not let that chance dance away from her.

She looked up, focusing on the surface far above her. The light shone as evident by the bright sunlight that danced on the water and somehow managed to break the surface, but it was unable to reach down to her before the dark water licked it up. She just stared, thinking how in the world she would manage to find a lake. She narrowed her eyes determinedly, looking back down to focus on swimming. She would find a way, somehow, someway, somewhere. She would not let this chance slip between her fingers. She subconsciously hugged the boy tighter before picking up her pace, eager to start looking.

"Shouyou." The man lifted his head, raising an eyebrow at the woman beside her. "We can name him Shouyou." She smiled brightly, blinking her large eyes.

"Shouyou?" The man clarified. "Not a very siren-like name... " He muttered under his breath, but the woman still heard. "You sure you don't want to name him something like Orochi?" She frowned, pouting her lips.

"I don't want him to be like those monsters, hon. I'd rather him think he's like us. It'll help to let him believe that, if we tell him he is a siren he will want to know what that is..." She trailed off, sighing. "Then we would have to explain to him, and that may cause problems." She whispered the last part, rather defeated. "Its not that I want to keep it secret. The man didn't respond, just kept swimming. Silence fell between them.

"Don't grow too attached." The man finally spoke, looking over his shoulder and slowing his pace a tad. "It's still not confirmed if we will even find some place for him." Her face saddened, but she couldn't deny that.

"Then when I do find the lake, I'll name him then." She said, looking at him with a grin. He couldn't help but smirk a bit, looking forward.

"Good. But if you somehow do, how will you keep him from being found?"

"I'll find a lake deep enough and secluded enough that he can just stay underwater." She replied after a moment of thought, flicking her cyan tail. She turned to face her partner, holding the boy in such a way the man could get a good look. "Isn't he adorable?" She clicked. The man looked down at the tiny orange-haired siren boy in her arms, unable to stop the soft smile from coming to his face. He reached out and brushed his thumb along the scaly cheek of the young golden fish boy.

"He is." He gazed at the tiny boy, smaller than the average siren or mermaid his age. He was definitely a runt, and would probably have issues swimming in his later years. He may even have some other troubles, being so small, that could cause him to die... The man only sighed, swimming ahead. He didn't want to think about that, it wouldn't be their problem if they didn't find a suitable lake for him. If they did, he would need to break the news that this boy risked dying. It didn't help he wouldn't have his natural source of nutrients. Human flesh. The man knew his wife would not allow the young siren to hunt in such a way, and would keep him alive with the fish and plants that they ate. They would not only need to hunt extra for another mouth, but hunt even more due to him needing more food than normal. He would be hard to maintain


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh this is and the next part are kind of boring, at least the first part of the next one.  
> :/ Wasnt really feeling it  
> SIDENOTE im changing kageyama from grey-ace to full ace, as it makes more sense in a future scene

Day after day. Tobio lost count of how often he'd visit the lake. He'd lost count how many times he just talked to Hinata, sitting on the dock by the water. He never got any answers to the questions he asked, leaving him frustrated. But he still came to the lake each day. Each week. Each month. For 5 months. Even through the rain, wind, or snow. He had no idea why he kept coming, he was just drawn to the lake. Or maybe he was drawn to Hinata. The mer-boy or siren that was kept in the lake that wasn't very well-known, but known enough to have people there in the summer. Mainly people who didn't like to go to the beach nearby, as that was the crowded body of water. Not this lake, though it was rather big.

But as summer passed, and autumn settled on the town less people went. It was near-abandon. But Autumn only got colder as things began to freeze over, the now-bare trees got a thin coat of shimmering frost.

Tobio sneezed.

"Are you sick?" Hinata asked, looking up at him. Tobio returned the glance to his, well, friend. Tobio had never really had friends before, as most of the other kids would call his face scary and run away. Not that he particularly cared, he had Hinata after all. The so-called mythical fish-boy who, from time-to-time, played volleyball with him. It was more they just passed an inflatable volleyball between eachother, but it made Tobio happy he could play at all. His father hadn't gotten any less busy, and his mother wasn't a big sports player. She was always busy with housework, and when she wasn't she was relaxing. That and his lack of friends, he had no one to officially play with. At least with Hinata, though he couldn't officially play, he could toss it back and forth. Even if Hinata found it awkward because he was in the water, they made it work.  
Hinata, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, enjoyed Volleyball immensely. He seemed to adore it, and Tobio knew if Hinata could feel the real joy of actually playing it he would love it even more. Though, Tobio still hadn't officially played it either...

"No." Tobio finally answered, wiping his nose.

"Do humans get sick easily? I get sick really easily but my mom doesnt. She's almost never sick." He mused offhandedly. "Usually its just from a lack of nutrients, at least thats what my mom tells me. She says because I can't eat my primary food source I have to eat a lot more plants 'nd fish 'nd such." Hinata sighed. "But plants make me feel a bit sick and fish make me hungrier." He sighed heavily.

"I'm not sick." Tobio muttered under his breath, snifflingly. "I just get a runny-nose in the winter."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked, grabbing the dock and hoisting himself closer to Tobio. Tobio blinked slowly at him. "I wouldn't want you to get sicker by sitting out here with me."

 

"I told you, I'm not sick." Tobio curled his hand into a fist, bopping Hinata on the head. Hinata pouted, sinking back into the water. "I can stay." He muttered under his breath, a wispy cloud floating from his lips before quickly dispersing. He peered at the water below his toes, silence falling over the two in a heavy blanket. Tobio watched the soft ripples of the wind blowing the relatively dark water. It would only be a matter of time before the lake froze over, what would he do then? Would Hinata be trapped under the ice? His dark blue eyes flickered over to the orange boy who was staring up at the dying trees. He opened his mouth, intending to ask, but somehow lost his voice as he stared at the fish-boy. Hinatas golden-brown eyes were staring intently at the cloudy sky, and though the moonlight barely broke through the dark clouds the rays seemed to hit him exactly: illuminating his eyes and giving a gleam to his orange hair. It defined each of the freckle-like scales on his face and gave the perfect shadows to make his features pop. Tobio found himself entranced, only snapping out of it when he suddenly sneezed.  
Catching the boys attention, Hinata glanced over worriedly.

"You should hurry home." Hinata said, sinking into the water a tad. Tobio blinked, looking at the water and noticing how the waves had began to get a bit fiercer, lapping hungrily at the shore. "It's probably going to storm." 

"Oh." Tobio looked up, and as if on cue a large raindrop hit him on the nose. He scrunched up his face and shook his head before looking back down at Hinata. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course! Next time you come, bring your ball!" Hinata grinned widely, showing off those teeth. Tobio nodded, unable to stop the small smile from spreading on his lips. He always loved to play volleyball, even if it wasn't technically volleyball, with Hinata. He rose to his feet and brushed himself off, glancing at Hinata as he pushed himself further into the lake. "See you later, Kageyama!" Hinata waved his arm wildly, and Tobio broke into a soft grin, waving back.

"Bye!" He said before turning, hearing a splash, and heading back home.

It was only when he reached his doorstep he remembered that he completely forgot to ask Hinata what would happen in winter, but he supposed it didn't matter. He could ask him another time. Tobio pulled the door open, entering and shaking his head to rid his hair and face of the raindrops which had began to pour down extremely hard. Tobio's mother rushed over to him once she heard the door close, towel in hand and ready to dry him.

"Tobio! Are you alright?! I told you to be careful!" She began furiously rubbing his head with the towel, making him grumble and scrunch up his face.

"I'm fine, Mama." He muttered, brushing her away to dry himself. She sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm going to get started on dinner. Dry yourself off then go set the table." She told him, waiting for his nod that he heard before turning and heading toward the kitchen. 

Dinner was eaten, filling Tobio up, who now just sat on his bed. He stared out the window with a bored sigh as he watched the hair hammering on the glass. The trees outside swayed, brushing against the wall, as the fierce wind thrashed them around. Tobio jumped slightly, letting out a yelp, as thunder drummed loudly and lightning flashed in the sky. He dove toward his sheets, burying himself under his blankets and hugging his pillow tightly. Tobio was never particularly scared of storms, thunder, or lightning. But he was only a kid, and when a storm was this huge...

Tobio let out another yelp as more thunder crackled in the distance, he bit his lip and heard the door creak slowly- peering out of his sheets he noticed the door swinging slightly. He gulped and jumped off his bed, sprinting to the door and shutting it tightly. He was about to return to his bed when the light of his room suddenly went out, even the lamp and nightlight on the wall- everything went out: leaving him in a completely black room. Tobio stiffened and widened his eyes, trying to reach up tot he light switch. Lightning illuminated the room briefly, giving him a flash look at the posters and action figures on his walls and desk. The dark shadows giving them an oddly terrifying appearance. He yelped loudly and flipped the switch, only to have it let out a 'click' but not turn on.  
He widened his already large eyes and kept on flipping the switch, only getting a brief flash of light before it returned to empty clicking.

"Tobio!?" His mother called, and Tobio opened the door, running out and straight into his mother who had been walking down the hall. "The power went out." He looked up, staring up at his mother. She had a candle, holding it a bit away from her and Tobio and trying to balance it after Tobio had tackled her. "Oh, honey, are you okay?' She crouched down, rubbing her sons eyes. Tobio sniffled, unaware he had even began to cry, and nodded slowly. "Don't worry, I'm sure the power will be back on soon." She pressed her lips on his forehead. "Until then, come on. Let's go have some ice cream, okay?" He nodded again, rubbing his nose roughly as his mother took his hand and led him back downstairs.

"D-Do you think Hinata is alright?" Tobio finally asked after reaching the bottom of the stairs. Tobio's mother glanced down at him with a warm smile.

"Of course, He is a mermaid afterall. I'm sure he is safe underwater!" She comforted, Tobio didn't respond, just going silent. The worry for his friend never left, but he did feel a tad bit better with his mothers words. Following his mother into the kitchen, he plopped down on the table as she rummaged in the freezer. Simple vanilla was Tobios favorite, sometimes with nuts. He watched his mother as she scooped the frozen white treat into a small bowl, shoving a spoon in the bowl before sliding it to Tobio. He immediately started digging in as his mother got her own bowl and sat down beside him, setting the candle down between them. She smiled comfortingly, now her sons fear of the dark.

Tobio found himself wondering what Hinatas favorite ice cream flavor would be. Maybe strawberry, with tons of sprinkles. It seemed to fit his personality.


End file.
